


Valley Of The Shadow , The

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-09-03
Updated: 2000-09-03
Packaged: 2019-05-15 01:21:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 15,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14780951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: On the first day of the First Couple's vacation at Camp David, the First Lady suffers an serious injury.





	1. Valley Of The Shadow , The

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Okay, this is an independent story by Rhiannon and AJ. It has nothing to do with any stories the two are currently working on...

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ 

disclaimer: Just two kids playing with another kid's toys...

 

On the first day of his vacation, President Josiah Bartlet woke early. He rolled over and sought the warmth of his wife's body next to him. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her snuggle further into his embrace. Laying there, with his arms around his wife, he felt his body relax completely. It was a moment he wished would never end.

The Bartlet's had flown to Camp David the afternoon before for a well earned vacation. He'd left word with Leo that the only reasons he should be contacted were if someone was dead or dying, or if someone was threatening to blow up the world... Anything else would result in the immediate death of the caller.

"Abbey?" Jed whispered.

"Hmm?" she murmured.

"I've got an idea... Let's go for an early morning swim, we can watch the sunrise at the pool."

She shook her head, "I've got a better idea. Why don't we stay here and go back to sleep?"

"Come on Abbey." Jed said, turning on his whining voice. "Please?"

Abbey groaned, "Okay..."

Jed grinned, "Great! Come on, let's change." He rose out of bed, pulling Abbey along with him. He propelled her to the bathroom and retrieved their swimsuits.

Moments later, the First Couple emerged out of the house and walked together to a bench beside the pool. Abbey shook her head as she observed the Secret Service agents standing around the deck area, "They never go away, do they?"

Jed glanced over at the men in black suits, "Should I even answer that?"

"No." Abbey replied, laying back in her husband's arms. She felt Jed wrap his arms around her. She waited for a few minutes before speaking again, "I thought you wanted to go swimming?"

"I changed my mind..."

"You just wanted to make me put a swimsuit on, didn't you?"

"Yep!" Jed chuckled. "And if you don't mind me saying so, you look most becoming."

Abbey shook her head as she sat up, "Well, since you drug me out of bed, I'm going to make use of this swimsuit and actually swim."

"And I get to watch? Oh goody!"

Abbey laughed, "You're a sick man Jed Bartlet." She walked over to the edge of the pool and removed her robe. At that moment, Jed whistled and Abbey turned around and threw her robe at him.

He laughed as he caught the robe. He watched as she dove in. He turned around and put her robe on the back of the bench.

Suddenly Abbey's screams ripped through the early morning calm. Jed whipped around and found himself suddenly frozen when he heard the blood chilling screams emanating from his wife.

All at once the Secret Service swarmed the pool deck. Seeing them jump started Jed into action, "ABBEY!"

He started to jump in after her, but several men held him back. He fought them as he watched Abbey's hysterics grow worse. Two men reached into the pool and brought Abbey up out of the water, screaming and writhing in pain.

Jed sprinted to her side. She was clutching her eyes with her hands, still sobbing and shaking with pain. Jed gathered her up in his arms and looked at the men around her. Speech was irrelevant, they all had one objective in their minds...

Jed rose, with Abbey in his arms, and lead the stampede toward help.

TBC....

  

  


	2. Valley Of The Shadow , The 2

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

As Jed took off for the inside of the house, wife in arms, he ordered for one of the men running along side him to ready the car for the hospital ride. As two men broke off from the group, Jed turned to another man and directed him to find some kind of first aid kit and bring it up to his room, where Jed would be preparing his wife for their emergency hospital visit.

A few short minutes, after Jed and Abbey went behind the closed doors of their room, they emerged, both fully clothed, and ready to go to the hospital. Jed helped Abbey into the waiting limo as he climbed in after her. He immediately ordered for it to take off.

During the very long car ride to the hospital, Jed washed Abbey's eyes out, using a bottle of water one of the agents had had with him. Then he proceeded to place gauze over her eyes, from the kit that the agents had found. Once he was done, he pulled his wife up to his body and kissed her on the top of the head as he grabbed her very tightly with his arms.

Jed had the door of the limousine opened before it even came to a complete stop at the front doors of the emergency room. He cautiously helped his wife out of the vehicle. Jed guided her to the front desk of the emergency room where some secret service agents had already been, in anticipation of the first couple's arrival.

A female nurse brought a wheelchair around for Abbey to sit in. Once Jed helped Abbey sit down, the nurse strolled her away to an exam room in the ER. Jed had been told to stay in the waiting room, but there was no way that he was about to leave his wife alone. He wasn't even sure what was going on yet. When he slipped into the room his wife was being examined in, the doctor conducting the examination noted his presence.

"Okay, well, first things first. We need to examine your eyes to determine exactly what is going on in there." With that, the doctor ordered Abbey to sit up to some machine as he carefully positioned her head in the exact way he needed it to be.

While conducting the physical part of the examination, the doctor turned to Jed to conduct the oral part of it, so he could possibly narrow some things out. "Mr. President, do you think you could paint me a picture of this morning's events?"

"Yeah...Sure. Um, we were by the pool...she decided to get in. A few seconds later, she began to scream...in a way I have never heard anyone scream before..." Jed tried to explain.

"So, we are looking at possible damage due to chlorine." The doctor concluded from Jed's description. "Now I know what I am dealing with." The doctor said, as he repositioned Abbey's head to run another test.

"I don't think it has anything to do with chlorine." Abbey spoke her first words since entering the hospital.

"If I may ask, why, Mrs. Bartlet?"

"I've been swimming in chlorine water for the better part of my life. I just don't think it has anything to do with chlorine." Abbey did not want to vocalize her real reason for her thought process.

"That doesn't mean...you can still have damage because of chlorine." The doctor began to explain.

"I just don't think that that is the reason."

"Abbey..." Jed said his first words to his wife since entering the exam room.

"I can't see anything. Temporary, or permanent...I'm blind." Abbey was so amazed that she was able to say that as calmly as she had.

Jed, hearing those last two words, froze up. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do. He was ready for him to wake up right now. He knew it all had to be some kind of nightmare he was having. He was going to wake up. He was going to find himself laying next to his beautiful wife, and everything was going to be fine. It was all a nightmare.

Soon, Jed finally came to the realization that it was indeed real, and he shot the doctor a questioning look. The doctor wasn't sure what to say at that moment either, as he returned the same look to the President of the Untied States.

TBC....

  


	3. Valley Of The Shadow , The 3

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

Jed stood there, staring at the doctor for the better half of a minute. He was frozen in thought. Then, Abbey repeated her words, "I'm blind."

"Abbey...?"

"I'm blind, Jed. I can't see anything."

"Wow! Okay, well, you are right. That does exclude chlorine from the list. Probably what happened is that someone put the wrong mix of chemicals into the pool, and when you opened your eyes in the water...well you get the picture." The doctor said as he rearranged Abbey's head once again for yet another test.

"Yeah, we get the picture. Whether we want it or not, we get the picture." Jed said as he laid his hands on Abbey's shoulders, careful enough not to distract her from the tests that were being done.

"Okay, well that wraps up all the tests that I have to do. If you are still in pain, I can give you a shot..."

"Yeah, I'd like that."

"Okay. I'll go get it while I have a nurse take you to your room."

"Is it really necessary that I stay overnight?" Abbey asked.

"Yes, it is. We are going to need to begin to do treatment on your eyes, among other things. And it would just be easier..."

"I'd actually like to take her back to Washington. I think it would all be easier if we were in a familiar place."

"She is going to need treatment, no matter what the results of these tests are."

"I'll get her the best damn eye doctor in the world, but I am going to do it from Washington D.C." Jed's voice infliction began to rise.

"Yes, sir." The doctor answered a little intimidated. "Is there anything I can do to help set that up? Perhaps recommend an optometrist?"

"I'd appreciate that. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go get a chopper ready to take us back to the White House. You give her whatever it is you said you were gonna give her."

"Yes, sir."

"Jed..."

"Don't worry, Abbey. I'm gonna take care of it." Abbey picked up on the uneasiness in which Jed spoke his words, but she elected not to say anything. She knew if she did, she'd burst out crying.

Jed disappeared from the room after he lightly kissed the top of his wife's head. He went over to one of his agents and ordered them to order that Marine One was readied for flight, and sent over to the roof of the hospital at once. He then was directed to the temporary room that was set up for his wife, for what was destined to be no more than a very short hour that seemed to last forever. Every second of this very excruciating, very painful day was lasting forever. Now if it were just possible to get though it...

When Jed entered Abbey's room, he found her sleeping on the bed. Whatever it was that the doctor gave her for the pain sure did work. At first, Jed stayed back, at the door. He was frozen there in his thoughts, as he lovingly gazed at his wife. He then proceeded to climb into bed with her. He needed to hold her as much as he knew she needed to be held. Even if she wasn't awake, she needed it.

The hour came and went, and Jed strolled Abbey's sleeping body on a wheelchair up to the roof, where there was a helicopter waiting for them. As they got closer to the chopper, Jed carefully picked Abbey up from the chair and placed her in the chopper. He then climbed up in the thing as well, as did the secret service agents.

The ride back to the White House was spent in silence. None of the agents ever talked, so they had no reason to do so this time. And Abbey was still sleeping, which just left Jed.

When Marine One landed on the helipad at the White House, there was a wheelchair there waiting for them, to make it easy to transport Abbey's sleeping body, for she was still knocked out cold on the pain killers the doctor had given her.

Jed took his wife up to the presidential bedroom, and transported her to the bed, where she continued to sleep.

TBC....

  


	4. Valley Of The Shadow , The 4

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

Jed sat up in his bed, watching Abbey sleep. He glanced over at the clock... it was almost nine o'clock. A long last, this day was almost over... But it still wasn't over yet...

When they had arrived at the White House, Jed had put Abbey to bed and she had yet to wake. Jed had had to fill many long, apprehensive hours by himself. He had tried, at one point to work through some of the papers Charlie had brought up to him. That didn't last long; his mind kept jumping back to the conversation he and Abbey had had in bed that morning...

He made her get up and go to the pool...

If he hadn't insisted, then she wouldn't have even been in that pool...

If he hadn't made her get up out of bed...

Finally, Jed had been consumed by his emotions. He walked out of their bedroom and charged around the White House, trying to work off some of his agitation. Then, he walked back to his bedroom and piled up on the bed next to Abbey...

Jed jumped at the sound of the phone ringing. He reached over and picked up the receiver, "Hello?"

"Hello, Mr. President?"

"Yes, this is President Bartlet..."

"This is Doctor Richard Lewis, I treated the First Lady."

"Yes, Dr. Lewis." Jed said, rising from the bed. He picked up the phone and walked into the bathroom. ~~~ A funny noise penetrated the foggy mind of Abigail Bartlet. She struggled to place the noise... It sounded like ringing ... like a phone ringing. She felt someone move away from her...

Where the hell was she? She felt around where she was laying. A bed... she moved her hand up along the headboard... her bed, at the White House. She was in her bedroom, in her bed at the White House.

She lifted her hand to her face and felt the bandages that masked her eyes... It hadn't been a dream. This was all too real.

She heard Jed's hushed voice. He sounded far away, like he wasn't in their room... He was in the bathroom; Jed was on the phone in their bathroom. She heard him hang-up. She sat up as he walked into the room, "Who was that?"

Jed stopped at the sound of Abbey's voice, "That was the doctor at the hospital."

"And?"

Jed set the phone back on the night stand and sat back on the bed, "And, he called because the results from the tests came back."

"And?"

"And... it's not good news." Jed paused. "There were chemicals in the pool that shouldn't have been there. So, when you jumped in and opened your eyes under water, the retinas in your eyes were burned... That's why you can't see."

Abbey sat in stony silence for one long moment, "Is this temporary or permanent?"

"He's not sure. He recommended a doctor that's here in DC to examine your eyes. He said that there was the possibility that surgery might be able to repair your eyes."

"The possibility?"

"Abbey, I-"

"Help me to the bathroom," Abbey said, cutting him off.

Jed lifted her off the bed and walked her to the bathroom door. He started to go in with her, but she brought an unsteady hand up to his chest and shook her head. He watched as she shut the door and then locked it, cutting him away from her.

TBC...


	5. Valley Of The Shadow , The 5

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

Abbey turned from the locked door. She started to reach for the light switch, but then stopped. She had no idea if the light was on or off... And if it was off, what did it matter anyway? She couldn't see a damn thing...

With her hands in the lead, she crept through the bathroom... She really didn't need to be in the bathroom, she needed to be by herself. She made her way over to the bathtub and lowered herself to the ground in front of it.

The words Jed spoke began to sink into her mind like a lead balloon...

Blind...

Possibly for the rest of her life.

What the hell was she supposed to do? She couldn't be a doctor... How could she diagnose something if she couldn't even see the damn patient?! When she was a little girl she had always dreamed of being a doctor... The day that her diploma was placed in her hands was one of the happiest days of her life.

Being a doctor was her entire life... it was what she had worked so hard to achieve and now... there was a distinct possibility that it was going to be yanked from her hands.

It wasn't fair... Dammit! Nothing about this was fair.

Another thought crept into her mind...

A blind First Lady...

How could she do anything? How was she supposed to be a good First Lady if she couldn't see anything?

And Jed... what use could she be to him now... Would everything change? Would he feel differently about her now?

Abbey put her head in her hands, rocking back and forth on the cold tile.

She was scared... No, that wasn't the word. She was terrified...

Not since the day Jed had been diagnosed with MS had she ever been so terrified. It was a cold terror that clutched at the core of her being.

What was going to happen next? Where was she supposed to go from this point? Everything that had been certain in her life yesterday had disappeared today.

  


	6. Valley Of The Shadow , The 6

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

At sharply 7:00 a.m. the alarm clock started to go off. Abbey awoke to the sound of a male voice singing. She laid there and listened to the song that had already been playing.

I was looking for the light When it was on I knew everything was alright Before I could knock

Abbey jumped across to the other side of the bed and kept slamming her hand down until she found the right thing, and the radio was turned off, or so she thought it was her that turned it off. She didn't know what the song was about, she didn't care. Those few words she heard … they were enough.

Abbey had no clue what time it was, what was she supposed to do? Look at the clock? Instead, she started to cry out her husband's name. "Jed … Wake up."

"I've been awake." Jed quietly said, "Every since you jumped across the bed."

"You could have helped me turn that damn radio off." Abbey said as she laid down flat on her back, on Jed's side of the bed.

"I did." Jed replied honestly. After his reply was heard, an eerie silence fell over the bedroom. Finally Jed broke that silence, "Come on, it's 7 a.m. We need to get up, we have to go to the doc's."

"I don't want to go, you go without me." Abbey turned on her side. If she couldn't see Jed, why should he get to see her?

Jed carefully rested his hand on Abbey's arm. "I'll go get your clothes ready for you. And then I'll help you in the shower."

"I said I'm not going. So I don't need to take a shower, I don't need to get dressed. I'm just gonna stay here."

"I'll be back in a minute." Jed climbed out of bed as he walked to the bathroom. He turned around once he got to the door and looked at Abbey on the bed. It wasn't fair. He could see her, but she couldn't see him. Giving a heavy sigh, Jed went into the bathroom and turned the water in the shower on, then came back out for his wife. He went over to her and helped her up. "Come on, I've got the water running."

"How am I supposed to take a shower? I'd probably put conditioner in first, the soap would fall out of my hands, I'd slip on it …"

"That's why I'm gonna help you." Jed said as they reached the bathroom. ~~~ Abbey was sitting in a chair in the presidential bedroom, wearing a blue business suit. She kept reaching up and touching her eyes, but when she heard her husband enter the room, she lowered them.

"I'm ready." Jed said entering wearing a black business suit, complete with black vest and blue tie to match the outfit he picked out for his wife.

"And you promise that I match?"

"Abbey, for the last time, you match. You are wearing your blue suit that you like so much."

"Okay. Let's go to the doctors." Abbey rose from her seat and reached her arm out. Jed grabbed it and slowly led his wife out the room.

TBC....

  


	7. Valley Of The Shadow , The 7

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

Jed guided his wife into an exam room at the eye clinic and seated her on a chair, then sat himself down beside her. A few minutes later, a male doctor entered the room. "Mr. President, Mrs. Bartlet, I'm doctor Aaron Tyler. I believe Doctor Richard Lewis told you something about me, and this meeting today." He put his hand and shook the President's hand.

"Yes, he did. He mentioned something about the possibility of surgery …"

"Yes, that is correct. I've looked at the results that Dr. Lewis conducted, and it is my belief that the best remedy for Mrs. Bartlet is surgery. I can go in there, and repair the damage done. If there is too much damage though, then I'm afraid I can't do anything."

"What are my chances that this will work?" Abbey spoke as she clasped her hands together and placed them in between her knees.

"70-30" The doctor replied looking down at a chart.

"70-30 which way? 70% chance this will work and I will see again? Or 70% chance that this will fail and I will be blind forever?"

"I'm afraid that it is a 70% chance that this will not work." The doctor stared at Jed when he said this.

Jed met the doctor's gaze and then turned to Abbey, whispering into her ear, "It's worth a shot Abbey. It's either this, or nothing."

"When is the soonest you can set this up, Dr. Tyler?" Abbey replied as Jed pulled her head down on to his shoulder.

"Well, I have a few tests that I have to run, to see exactly what it is I will be dealing with. I can do that, here, today. And I can schedule the surgery for as soon as tomorrow, if the results from the tests are what I want them to be."

"How long will it take for the results to come back?" Jed asked.

"Two hours max. Mr. President." ~~~ The tests went off without a hitch, and Jed and Abbey were on their way back to the White House. When they got there, they went up to their bedroom. Abbey asked to be led to her side of the bed, where she sat down and folded her arms up. Jed decided to go over to his desk, and try to do some work.

After working through a quarter of the stack that he had with him, he turned to look at his wife. She looked closed off from the world. He couldn't look into her eyes, into her soul. He knew something was wrong, but didn't know what. She was just sitting there. He didn't know if she was sleeping or awake. So he ventured out.

"You can't keep shutting me out, Abigail Christine Reed Bartlet." Jed used her full name. He never used her full name. Some times he would use her middle name, or her maiden name, but never the entire thing. This let Abbey know that he was hurt, and mad.

"I'm not shutting anyone out, Josiah Thomas Bartlet."

"Yes, you are. I know you're hurting inside. I can see …" Jed stopped. He realized he choose the wrong words to say. He wondered how she would respond.

"Yes, you can see, and I can't. I'm blind Jed." Abbey laid down on the bed, sideways, so her head was on Jed's side, and her feet were hanging off of her side.

"You can't do this to me Abbey. I feel guilty enough for making you … for making you get into that damn pool. Don't shut me out."

Abbey shifted her body again. This time she was laying flat on her back, on Jed's side of the bed. Then she reached her hand out and miraculously found the on button on the alarm clock radio. The song More Love by Doug Stone began to play, but in the middle of the song.

And if my prayers came true I know just what I'd do I'd give her more love, more time More of her knowing that she's on my mind More of my heart would have suited her fine Cause that's what she was dreaming of

Abbey began to fall asleep, unbenounced to Jed who was just getting upset by the words of the song he was hearing. And he knew Abbey didn't shut it off on purpose. He knew she knew it would get to him. Maybe she planned this, Jed thought.

She needed more love, more time Less of the things that money could buy More of my arms just holding her tight When it all adds up to the bottom line The answer's the same every time Of all that she was dreaming of She only needed more love I nearly gave her enough She only needed more love

At the end of the song, Jed could no longer stand to be in the same room as his wife. How dare she not turn that song off. How dare she. Jed went to the door, and looked back for a quick moment at his wife's sleeping body before leaving the room to walk off his steam.

TBC....

  


	8. Valley Of The Shadow , The 8

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

Jed stalked through the White House. He didn't know where he was going... the only thing that mattered was putting as much distance as possible between Abbey and him. He had to get away from that song... that damn song.

Damn her anyway for not turning that song off. She could hear what it was saying and she knew it would cut him to the bone to hear it. And it had.

Jed finally stopped in the middle of a hallway. He looked around and, seeing nobody, sank to the ground. He propped his back up against the wall and stared out into space.

He had to stay positive... he had to let all this roll off his back. Abbey was just reacting to the stress of the situation, he told himself. She was angry ... and was just reflecting that anger.

'Who am I kidding?' he asked himself. 'She probably blames me for all this. God knows I do.'

'Could I even be a good husband to her anymore...' Every time he looked at her, he was consumed with guilt. What could he do for her? What would she let him do? Would she even want to have him? Did she blame him for this?

'Stop it,' he chided himself. 'She's gonna be fine... This surgery is going to work and everything is going to be fine.'

But that small voice in the back of his head whispered, but what if it isn't? What if everything isn't all right? What if she's blind for the rest of her life? She'll have to give up what she worked so hard to be.

Jed put his head in his hands. He may never look into her eyes and see that spark... that light that he loved so much again...

Could he live with that?

Could he live with the knowledge that, if it wasn't for him, Abbey would have her sight? Would he ever be able to think about her without having to fight the urge to cry?

"Please God... please." Jed said quietly, closing his eyes in the silent hallway.

TBC...

  


	9. Valley Of The Shadow , The 9

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

Abbey was tossing and turning in her sleep when she began to hear a ringing noise run through her head. That ringing noise was very persistent, and ended up waking her up.

It was the telephone.

Abbey waited for Jed to come over and answer the phone. But it kept ringing and ringing. This is how she knew he wasn't in the room. She swung her arm out at the fifth ring and patted it all around until it finally found the phone. After a little bit more patting around, she was able to find the receiver part of it, and hold it up to her ear.

"Hello." She said into the phone.

"Mrs. Bartlet, this is Dr. Tyler. I have the test results."

Abbey took a big gulp as she answered with a very shaky voice, "Well?"

"After carefully studying the results several times, I believe that it would be possible, and in your best interest, to have surgery."

Abbey breathed a sigh of relief. Not a big one, there was still a 70% chance that the surgery would not work, but at least she was going to be given the 30% chance. "Thank you, doctor. When can it be done?"

"Like I said earlier when you were in my office, it can be done tomorrow. What's a good time for you?"

"What about the first thing in the morning?" Abbey wanted to get it done as soon as possible. The sooner she got into surgery, the sooner she got out of surgery.

The sooner she got out, the sooner she got the results.

"That is not a problem, Mrs. Bartlet. How about you be here at eight in the morning?"

"I'll be there, doctor. And thank you." Abbey stuck her arm out and began to reach for the other part of the phone so she could hang it up. After a couple of failed attempts, she got it right.

There is a chance. A small chance.

A 30% chance…

But still, that's a chance.

Nervously happy over the news she received from the phone call, Abbey laid back down on the bed. As she did so, Jed finally walked back into the room.

He knew he couldn't hide forever. He also knew that they should be getting a phone call from the doctor soon. What he didn't know was that he was too late.

He was too late.

The phone call already came in. And he missed it.

Seeing Abbey in the process of laying down, he knew she was awake. But did he want to speak with her?

Would she want to speak with him?

"Is that you Jed?" Abbey said as she finally made it into a laying position.

"Yeah, it's me." Jed walked over and sat down on the couch. "Has the doctor called yet?"

Abbey knew she should tell him the truth. It was the right thing to do. But for some unexplained reason, she answered, "No, he hasn't."

She felt bad for lying to him. No she didn't. Yes she did. But she didn't set him straight either.

"Okay." Jed picked up some work that he had sitting near the couch, and began to slowly, but surely work through it.

TBC...

 


	10. Valley Of The Shadow , The 10

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

Abbey continued to lay on the bed, her thoughts drifted around her head. She raised her head when she heard Jed shut a drawer sharply, "Jed?"

Jed stared at her a moment, "I'm going to take these papers down to the West Wing. I'll be back. If you need me... call down there."

"Okay," she replied.

"Okay," he repeated, walking towards the door.

Abbey waited until she heard the door shut behind him. She reached her hand around to the night stand, looking for the telephone. She finally found it and pulled it onto the bed beside her. She traced her fingers over it, trying to find the right keys to push.

After a moment, she gave up and pushed the operator key.

"May I help you?"

"This is Mrs. Bartlet, would you connect me with Zoey Bartlet's dorm room please."

"One moment please," came the response.

A moment later a young voice answered the phone, "Hello?"

"Zoey? It's Mom."

"Mom, what's wrong?" Zoey asked, immediately sensing the anguish in her mother's voice.

"Zoey, will you do something for me?"

"Sure. What?"

"Can you meet me at the hospital at eight in the morning?" Abbey asked.

"Mom, what's going on?" Zoey asked, warily.

"Zoey, I don't want to go into this now... Please, just meet me there, okay?"

"Okay." Zoey agreed.

"And... don't let your Dad know about this." Abbey added.

"Mom, what's going on?" Zoey asked again, this time with more force in her voice.

"Zoey, I'll explain everything to you tomorrow morning. Just be there, okay?" Abbey said, sharply.

"Okay, Mom. I'll see you then."

Abbey hung up the phone and debated on the next call. After a moment, she let out a breath and picked up the receiver once again. ~~ CJ sat in her office when her phone rang, "Hello?"

"CJ?" came the voice on the other end. "This is Abbey."

"Abbey, what's wrong?"

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, name it." CJ responded.

"Can you be here in the residence at seven thirty tomorrow morning?" Abbey asked.

"Sure, why?" CJ replied.

"I need you to do me a big favor."

"Okay." CJ said.

"And... there's one more thing." Abbey began. "I don't want my husband to know you're coming up here."

"Abbey..."

"CJ," Abbey sighed.

"Okay." CJ replied quickly. "I'll be up there at seven thirty sharp."

"Thanks CJ." Abbey replied weakly. "I'll see you then."

Abbey hung up the phone slowly, wondering just what the hell she was doing...

TBC...


	11. Valley Of The Shadow , The 11

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

The next morning, Abbey sat in a chair in the Presidential bedroom, waiting for her husband to leave. Jed walked out of the bathroom. He looked over at his wife. She was sitting quietly in a high-back chair, she looked frozen in time.

"And you're sure Lilli Mays is coming to get you?" Jed said, walking further into the room.

Abbey choked back the guilt, "Yes, she'll be here around seven thirty."

"Okay." Jed said. He stood in front of her for a long, uncomfortable moment, "Are you sure you'll be fine until she gets here?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Abbey responded. "Go on, you're going to be late."

Jed didn't move for a moment longer. Then, he turned and walked out of the room. Abbey caved in when she heard the door close. She wanted to be sick... She was lying to her husband. And she was lying in a big way. ~~ At promptly seven thirty, CJ knocked on the door to the First Couple's bedroom.

"Come in." Abbey called from behind the door.

CJ opened the door and walked in. Her eyes grew in size for a moment. Leo had told them that the First Lady had been hurt... they all knew what was wrong. But, CJ had yet to see her friend. She called out, "Abbey?"

"CJ, I need another favor." Abbey said, calmly. ~~ Zoey Bartlet stood in her mother's hospital room. She couldn't believe any of what her mother was telling her, "Mom?"

"Yes, Zoey?"

"Why isn't Dad here?"

Abbey sucked in a deep breath of air, "Because, I don't want him here."

"Mom!" Zoey exclaimed.

"Zoey," CJ said, quietly. "Come out in the hallway with me. They're going to come get your mom here in a minute."

Zoey followed CJ out into the hallway. As soon as they closed the door, CJ turned to the younger woman, "Zoey, you and I need to make a decision."

Zoey raised an eyebrow, "Yeah... I think we do."

"What do you think?"

"Do it." Zoey responded.

CJ pursed her lips, "You or me?"

Zoey looked uncomfortable for a moment. CJ nodded, "Okay, I'll do it." ~~ Jed picked up the phone as it rang, "Hello."

"Mr. President, this is CJ."

"CJ, where the hell are you?" Jed asked.

"I'm at the hospital, sir."

"The hospital?"

"Yes, sir. Mrs. Bartlet had me bring her up here this morning... She also had Zoey meet us up here." CJ said, quietly.

Jed felt his face turn red from heat, "Why?"

CJ hesitated for a moment, "Because she's having surgery this morning, sir."

"She's having what?" Jed demanded, in a deadly tone of voice.

"She's having surgery, sir. The doctor called last night and Mrs. Bartlet arranged to have the operation performed this morning." CJ responded.

"She told me..." Jed trailed off. He closed his eyes for a moment, "CJ?"

"Yes, sir?"

"I'm coming, but don't tell her you called me."

"No, sir."

Jed hung up the phone. He stared out into space... She lied to him. Abbey lied to him. She sat there and told him that the damn doctor hadn't called. She sat there, calmly, and told him that Lilli Mays was taking her to her office... And she was lying all the time.

She was doing with without him...

Jed shook his head as he rose from behind his desk. He'd be damned to hell before he let her get away with any of this. She wasn't getting away from him ... no matter what she did.

TBC...


	12. Valley Of The Shadow , The 12

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

Jed busted into the hospital's waiting room where he found CJ and Zoey. "Where is she?" Jed's voice was full of emotions. Full of fear, anger, anxiety, hope, contempt, love.

"Dad!" Zoey threw her arms around her father. "Dad, I'm so scared. What's going to happen to Mom?" Zoey buried her head into his arms.

"I don't know." Jed honestly replied. As he continued to pamper his crying daughter in his arms, he turned to his press secretary. "CJ, where is she? I'd like to see her before …"

"It's too late, sir. They just took her into surgery. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, CJ. Thanks for calling me and letting me know. I appreciate it."

"Dad, what's going on between you and Mom? Why didn't she want you here?"

Jed began to stroke her hair. "Nothing happened."

"Don't lie to me Dad." Zoey managed to say between her sobs. "I'm old enough to pick up on this."

"Yeah, you are." Jed brought his chin down to rest on the top of her head.

"So … why didn't she want you here, Dad?

"You're Mom and I had a fight." Zoey pulled away from her father as she stared into his eyes.

"You what?!" Zoey began to yell. "How could you Dad?!"

"Zoey, calm down." Jed said, but Zoey didn't hear him.

"How could you fight with Mom? She's already going through so much. She doesn't need to add fighting with you on that list." Zoey further backed away from her father.

"Zoey, I … your mother and I … we … I …" Jed kept stumbling around for the right thing to say. "I love your mother very much. I didn't mean to hurt her."

"But you did, Dad. You did. That's probably why she didn't want you to come here. How could you Dad?"

"Look, Zoey. I feel guilty enough. Do we really have to talk about this? Here?"

Zoey looked up at her father in disbelief as she took off running out of the waiting room. CJ looked over at the President with a very awkward look on her face. Then she turned and ran after Zoey.

'She's right.' Jed thought. 'How could I do that to her? I am already responsible with her being blind. And now I've shut her out somehow. She doesn't trust me to tell me the truth.

She had to lie to me.

She lied to me. She didn't tell me she was having surgery. She didn't want me here. Why? Why didn't she want me here?

How did this happen? We were doing good at the beginning, and then bamb. We just started to fight. Was it even over anything? What exactly is it that we have been fighting over? I don't even remember.'

CJ walked back into the room and interrupted Jed's thought process.

"Where is she?" Jed asked.

"She's in the bathroom." CJ felt so uncomfortable with what she was about to have to say to her boss. She felt so sorry for him, for Abbey, for Zoey. And she wasn't helping any. "She refuses to come out until you leave."

TBC...


	13. Valley Of The Shadow , The 13

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

Jed stared at CJ for a long moment. He wasn't sure if he heard her correctly, "She said what?"

CJ took a deep breath, "She won't come out until you leave."

Jed nodded, "Okay. Would you show me where she is, CJ?"

"Sure." CJ said, leading the way to a little bathroom right outside the waiting room. CJ stood there for a moment and then turned to walk back into the waiting room.

Jed stood outside the bathroom for a long moment. Finally, he knocked on the door, "Zoey?"

"Go away."

"Zoey, please."

"Go away and leave me alone Dad." Zoey called back.

"Zoey, let me in."

"NO!"

Jed closed his eyes. This wasn't getting them anywhere. He opened his eyes and said, "Zoey, open the door or I'll break the damn thing down. Now!"

After a moment, the lock clicked and the door opened. Jed pushed it open all the way and walked in. He closed the door behind him, ignoring the unhappy Secret Service agents in the hallway.

"Honey, I know you're mad at me." Jed began. "I know you're hurting for your Mom... I know."

"Dad-"

Jed held up his hand, "Zoey, let me talk... Your Mom and I were at Camp David, Zoey. We were going to have a great vacation... It was going to be great, just your mom and me. I woke up and decided that I wanted us to go for a swim. Your Mom didn't want to get out of bed, but I made her... I made her get up and go to the pool with me... When we got out there, I changed my mind... I didn't want to swim. But your mom decided to anyway... She jumped in and... and I turned away for a moment... then, she started to scream... She started to scream Zoey."

Zoey moved closer to her father, moved by the emotion in his voice and on his face.

"We took her to the hospital... She couldn't see... she was blind... she was so calm when she said it, just like the doctor she is.... In her doctor mode... We came back to DC and everything started to unwind after that... We've fought since we got back from the doctor's office yesterday morning..."

Zoey looked into her father's eyes and saw the anguish and the guilt that haunted them. She instantly felt bad for yelling at him... She's been so worried and frightened for her mother... she'd forgotten about her dad. She took a breath, "What's going to happen next, Dad?"

Jed shook his head, "I don't know Zoey... I wish I did."

"I'm scared Dad." Zoey reached out and took her father's hand.

Jed grasped it, "I'm scared too Zoey... I'm scared for your Mom...."

"I'm sorry Dad, I shouldn't have yelled at you." Zoey said.

Jed hugged her, "It's okay... Emotions are running pretty high right now ... we're all saying and doing things we shouldn't... God knows I've done the lion's share of that lately."

TBC...


	14. Valley Of The Shadow , The 14

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

Jed quietly tiptoed into Abbey's room where she was recovering from the surgery. He didn't know if she was awake. He wasn't sure if he wanted her to be.

Ready or not, he was about to find out. "Abbey...?"

Abbey's head moved to the side, to where she would have seen him if she could see. "What are you doing here?" Abbey said, clearly upset at the voice she heard.

"CJ and Zoey called me." Jed ventured into the room. "Why did you lie to me, Abbey?" Jed was still hurting over the fact that she kept this from him. He wanted to drop it. He wanted to make up with her right there. But he was too stubborn for that.

"I lied to you because I didn't think you deserved to know the truth. That's why. And don't you dare turn the blame around on me. I may have not told you, but you are the one that keeps snapping at me, and yelling, and walking away."

"That's no excuse, Abbey. You should have told me. I'm your husband, I deserve to know."

"And I'm your wife. And I decided that you didn't need to know. Now get out of here before I get mad."

"Abbey..." Jed began but was cut off.

"GET OUT!" Abbey yelled, as she threw an arm up and pointed to what she thought was the door.

Zoey had been waiting right outside her mother's room. Her dad said he wanted a minute alone with her. He said he was going to try to fix things. Suddenly, she heard her mother scream. A few seconds later, her father exited the hospital room. He totally ignored Zoey, as he walked out some doors and continued until he was out of the hospital completely, and on his way back to the White House.

Zoey began to get worried, so she stepped into the room.

"Mom?" Zoey said making her way for the bed her mom was laying on.

"Zoey..." Abbey didn't know what exactly Zoey knew. But she was certain that Zoey heard her yell at her father.

"Mom, what just happened in here?"

"Nothing happened, honey." Abbey began to lie to her daughter in the same fashion that she had been lying to her husband.

"Mom... Dad told me everything. You don't have to lie to me. Why did you make him leave?"

"Because I hate myself for blaming all of this on him." Abbey whispered quietly, so she was surprised when Zoey responded.

"It's not his fault, Mom. It's not your fault either."

"I know that in my heart, Zoey. But the problem is my head. In my head I blame your father." Abbey was being totally honest with someone for a change.

"Don't you always tell me that you should listen to your heart more than your head? Your head will only get you into trouble. Your heart will get you in love."

"When did you become so smart?" Abbey said as Zoey reached out for her mother's hand.

"Over night." Zoey tried to make her mom laugh. It worked.

This was the first time Abbey could remember laughing since...

... Since Jed and her were poolside and he made those comments about getting to watch her swim.

"You know when Dad came in here, he was going to apologize." Zoey began as she noticed her mother stopped laughing. "He's really sorry this is all happening."

"Then he should have said so. Instead, he just snapped at me." Abbey let go of her daughter's hand as the door began to creak open.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Bartlet, but I'm afraid that I need you to take a nap, and rest those eyes." Came Dr. Tyler from the doorway.

"Okay." Abbey said as she felt Zoey kiss her on her cheek.

"I'll be back to check on you later, Mom. I promise. You just get some sleep now. I love you." Zoey got up and headed for the door.

"I love you too, Zoey."

"Dad loves you too, Mom." Zoey said as she closed the door behind her.

"Yeah, and I love him too. I just wish he weren't so damn difficult sometimes." Abbey said quietly to herself after she heard the door shut.

 

TBC...


	15. Valley Of The Shadow , The 15

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

"Mrs. Bartlet, I'm going to release you to the White House." Dr. Tyler said. "Ms. Cregg is here with a car to take you home."

Abbey nodded, "Where is she?"

"Waiting outside." Dr. Tyler responded. "Now, listen to me carefully. You're going to have to take special care of your eyes for the next week. I'm going to give you eye drops, they are to be taken twice a day. Keep your eyes bandaged at all time, Mrs. Bartlet. The only time those bandages should come off is when someone is putting the eye drops in your eyes."

"Okay, I understand." Abbey responded.

"In a week, we'll take the bandages off and we'll know for sure one way or another if the surgery was a success." Dr. Tyler continued. "I'm going to give you the number of someone who has experience in helping people without sight... It might be a good idea for you to give her a call. Her help will help make the week run a great deal more smoothly and, if the procedure fails, she can help you adjust."

Abbey shook her head, "I'd rather not..."

"Mrs. Bartlet-"

"No." came the soft, but firm response.

Dr. Tyler shook his head, "All right Mrs. Bartlet. I'll send Ms. Cregg in here now."

Abbey nodded as he walked out the door. Once in the hallway, he approached the waiting Press Secretary, "Ms. Cregg?"

CJ turned, "Yes?"

"Mrs. Bartlet is ready to leave..." he hesitated for a moment. He pursed his lips and made a decision. "I suggested to Mrs. Bartlet that it might be helpful to call someone that aids people without sight."

"Let me guess, she refused?" CJ asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, she did." Tyler responded. "Ordinarily, I don't go against my patients wishes, but I feel compelled in this case to do just that. Would you give this card to the President? I really feel very strongly that Mrs. Bartlet would benefit greatly from this."

CJ nodded, "All right. And thank you very much." 

~~~ 

Jed stood, silently, in his bedroom watching his wife sleep. He had been there when CJ brought her home, but he had motioned CJ's silence... He wasn't ready for Abbey to know he was there... not yet.

He couldn't deal with her awake. All they did was fight... but, when she slept... that's when he could sit with her in silence and peace.

He walked over to the side of the bed and sat down beside her. He brushed her hair out of her face. He felt his eyes well-up with tears. He bent down and kissed her, "I love you so much Abigail... I'm so sorry."

He rose from the bed and walked, quickly, out the bedroom door.

"I love you too." Abbey said, as the door clicked shut.

TBC...


	16. Valley Of The Shadow , The 16

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

When Jed left the bedroom, he went to find CJ. He noticed something in her behavior when she dropped Abbey off. But he couldn't place it.

Walking into her office, he found CJ working hard at her computer. She noticed him standing at the door, and stopped typing as she looked up.

"CJ... I'm sorry you had to be brought into this. Into my mess. My family problems. It isn't fair to you."

"And I'm sorry that I can't be anymore help to you, or your wife." CJ said as she met her boss's eyes. In that brief moment, she saw him as a human. She always knew he was human, but he was also the President.

Not in that moment.

In that moment that their eyes caught each other's, she saw him as a man in pain.

"Mr. President, I need to give you something." CJ began to rifle through her purse. "Dr. Tyler mentioned something about getting someone to help Abbey learn how to deal with her being..." CJ hesitated. She didn't know how well Jed had come to terms with that word. She didn't know if he had come to terms with it at all.

"Blind." Jed finished, letting CJ know that it was okay.

"Yes." CJ looked at him with very soft eyes. "He gave me a card." She finally found it and handed it over to her boss. "Apparently, Mrs. Bartlet refused the offer, but he thinks it would be a good idea. So he mentioned it to me."

"Okay, thanks CJ." Jed said as their eyes met once more before he turned around and walked out.

When Jed left CJ, he went into his office and sat down at his desk chair. His eyes were transfixed on some blob on the wall. His mind was stuck on Abbey. Finally snapping out of it, Jed looked down into his hand.

He looked at the card.

CJ said that Abbey refused the help. But the doctor thought it would be a good idea. What was he to do?

He had already screwed up royally when it came to Abbey and the past few days. If he did this, Abbey was sure to grow more upset.

If he didn't...

Weighing his choices, Jed opted for the more difficult one. The one sure to get him in trouble. But if it meant helping Abbey, even if she didn't want it, he was going to do it.

"This is President Bartlet. Am I speaking with Sara Bishop?" Jed spoke into the phone.

"Yes, sir. Dr. Tyler told me to expect a call from you. How may I help?" A female voice no older than 28 answered.

"I was told something about you being able to help my wife deal with her being blind. Can you explain to me what exactly it is you will be doing?"

"Yes sir. What it is, is I will teach your wife to rely on her other senses. Those with sight, their other senses take a back seat to their sense of vision. We try to reverse that process. Once that happens, it becomes much easier to do things by yourself."

"And you think that you can do this for Abbey?" Jed said with a crack in his voice.

"Yes sir. I believe I can. If you give me the opportunity."

TBC...


	17. Valley Of The Shadow , The 17

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

Later that day Abbey was still lying in bed. It seems she had been doing a lot of that lately.

Zoey was there with her, feeding her when Jed slipped into the room very quietly.

He motioned at Zoey to not say anything. Zoey nodded her head as she stood up.

"Zoey, where are you going?" Abbey felt her daughter get up off the bed.

"I dropped the napkin on the ground. I had to pick it up." Zoey handed the spoon she was using to feed her mother with, to her father and then left the room.

Jed stared at the door as he watched Zoey quietly leave the room. He then made his way to sit down on the bed next to his wife.

Abbey had no clue what was going on. For all she knew, it was still her daughter feeding her. But it wasn't...

It was Jed.

After a few minutes of feeding her in silence, he finally decided to speak up.

"I called a lady named Sara Bishop. She's going to come here tomorrow and help you learn how to do things by yourself." Jed pulled a cup away from her, as she had just finished taking a sip from the half-full glass of water.

"What the hell are you doing in here? And who the hell do you think you are making a decision like that?"

"I'm your husband. I love you. I am only doing what is best for you." Jed quietly spoke.

His words infuriated Abbey. She shot up from the bed spilling the glass of water that Jed was still holding all over him.

"You had no right!" She shouted as she began to stampede towards the door.

She needed out. She needed out, now.

Would she be able to find the door?

Yes.

She swung the doors open and ran quickly out of the room.

Jed was still by the bed, soaking wet. He watched as his wife struggled to find the door and leave. Then, a few seconds later, he heard a crash.

Tracking down the source of the crash, Jed found Abbey just outside of their room. She had run into an old antique stand that held a lamp on it. When she crashed into the thing, she fell to the ground, and took the lamp and stand with her.

As his eyes found Abbey, he noticed that her shin was bleeding from when she ran into the stand. And glass from the lamp was lying all around her. Definitely a hazard to someone who couldn't see where the pieces were.

Abbey heard Jed come out. She was afraid to speak with him, she didn't know why, but she was. So she began to move around and try to pick herself up off the ground, before Jed was able to worn her about the glass.

Her hand brushed across a piece of the shattered lamp, adding a deep cut to her growing list of injuries.

As blood began to leak from her shin and her hand, Jed walked over to her.

No, he ran.

He ran over to her and scooped her up into his arms. Not saying a word, he carried her back into their bedroom and carefully laid her back down on the bed. As soon as she was down, he tore his wet shirt off, leaving a white undershirt just as wet, on. He used his shirt to control the bleeding from her hand and her shin.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have... I'm sorry." Jed said as his wife began to shed tears in a fast steady pace.

TBC...


	18. Valley Of The Shadow , The 18

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

Jed's thoughts raced frantically as he tried to control the bleeding. He reached up and captured Abbey's face in one hand, "Abbey, you've got to help me. Abbey, please listen to me. I need you... I can't do this unless you tell me what to do."

Abbey fought to control her tears as Jed's words sunk into her head. She took several deep breaths, trying to calm down, "My bag." She managed to choke out.

Jed jumped up, "Closet?"

"Yeah." Abbey answered, the tears still streaming down her face.

Jed threw open the closet door and found her bag immediately. He brought it back to the bed and opened it up, "Okay, Abbey, help me. I don't know what to do next."

Abbey gulped down a deep breath, "Describe the wounds to me."

"You've got a cut on your shin."

"How bad?"

"Umm, it doesn't look to terribly bad."

"Okay, you need to clean it out. Look in my bag, there should be some hydrogen peroxide and cotton in there. Just pour the peroxide on the wound."

"Okay." Jed said. He pulled the bottle out of the bag and did as he was told. He jumped when he saw her flinch, "What?"

"Nothing, just stings a little." Abbey shook her head. "Now, you need to get one of the big bandages out of the bag and the anti-infection cream. Put some of the cream on the wound and then bandage it."

Jed, quickly, did as he was told and turned his attention to his wife's hand, "Okay, this looks a little worse. I don't think I can handle this one."

Abbey nodded, "Yes, you can. Just tell me what it looks like and I'll tell you what to do."

"It... it's a deeper cut. You cut it on the glass."

"Is there any glass in the wound?"

"I'm not sure, I can't see..." Jed stammered.

"Okay, you're going to have to probe the wound and make sure there's no glass embedded in it." Abbey said, letting her doctor mode kick in full gear. "Turn the lamp on high so you can see."

"Abbey-"

"Do it, dammit." Abbey exclaimed.

Jed turned the lamp on high and tried to probe the wound as gently as he could. Every other moment, it seemed like, Abbey flinched from the pain of his examination.

"I don't see any glass."

"Okay," she breathed. "do the same thing here as you did on the other wound."

Jed did exactly as he was told. He washed and bandaged the wound on her hand just like he had the other one. When he was done, he looked his wife up and down, "Can you feel anywhere else you may be hurt?"

Abbey shook her head, "No."

"Okay, I'm going to change clothes and then I'll help you change, okay?"

"Okay."

Jed walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

TBC...


	19. Valley Of The Shadow , The 19

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

Jed leaned against the bathroom door. He paused for a moment, but then he straightened back up and quickly changed his clothes. He opened the bathroom door moments later and found Abbey sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for him.

He walked over and took her hand and led her into the bathroom. He helped her take her wet and bloody night gown off. He went to put a new nightgown over her head when she shook her head.

"No... not that," she said.

He stood there for a moment. Then he walked over to his closet and retrieved two pairs of his sweatpants and two of his well-worn t-shirts. He helped her dress and then changed his own clothes once again.

He looked over at her, standing still, fussing with her hair. He took her by the shoulders and led her to the seat at the mirror. She sat down and he took out her brush and began to brush through the hair that had tangled at the ends. He retrieved a rubber band from a drawer and twisted her hair the way he had seen her do, countless times before.

When that was done, he lifted her up out of the seat and carried her to their bed. He laid her on the bed and then climbed in beside her. He stroked her cheek until he felt her breathing even out and she drifted off to sleep.

He turned and reached over and picked up the phone. Moments later a voice picked up at the other end, "Hello?"

"Leo, it's me."

"What's up, sir."

"I'm not coming back in today."

"Abbey?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"Thanks."

"Take care of her, Jed."

"I will." *** Abbey woke an hour or so later. She felt two strong arms around her. She also felt a chest heaving up and down and tears falling on her face. She bit her lip... He was crying because of her.

Abbey turned herself around and buried her face in her husband's chest, as the tears in her own eyes began to fall. She held onto him as tightly as she could.

Jed clutched his wife to him, not ever wanting to let go. His own emotions and guilt almost overwhelming him.

Abbey pulled back her head and reached a hand toward his face. Her hand found his cheek and she brought the other hand up. She held his face in her hands as she kissed him gently, "It's all right... it's going to be all right."

"Abbey..." he choked out.

"It's not your fault, Jed," she said, still raining kisses down on her husband's face. "It's not your fault... it's not your fault."

All at once, Jed's lips found her own. He pulled back from the kiss, "Abbey?" His voice was unsure.

"Yes," she responded.

Jed rested his forehead against her before he kissed her again.

TBC...


	20. Valley Of The Shadow , The 20

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

The next morning Abbey woke up to the gentle touch of Jed's lips against her neck. She tilted her head to the side, as he continued. Eventually, Jed's lips moved on to her lips.

When he broke the kiss, he said, "It's time to get up."

"I don't want to." Abbey replied honestly.

"Abbey..." Jed began, not sure of where his wife was headed with her words.

"I'd rather stay in bed, making up with you some more." She smiled.

Jed was about to respond when the phone began to ring. "Hello." Jed answered a little aggravated at the disturbance.

"Sir, it's Charlie. I just wanted to let you know that there is a Sara Bishop in your office."

"Already? I still have..." Jed looked over at the clock. "Damnit. Okay, tell her we are running a little late and will be down there as soon as we can."

"Yes, sir." Charlie said before the President hung the phone up.

"What was that about?" Abbey asked filled with disappointment, as she knew the answer.

"Sara Bishop... she's here already." Jed wrapped his arms around his wife. It felt so good to hold her again. It felt good that she was letting him hold her again. Who was he kidding? It felt better than good.

It felt down right wonderful.

"Okay. We should get up then." Abbey snuggled into his arms. She was glad that they were finally able to fix things between them. She was miserable without him.

"Yeah, we should." Jed said as he tightened his grip around her.

"Okay. I'm getting up now." Abbey rested her head into his body.

"Me too." Jed moved his head so his chin was resting on top of her head.

"Good. Cause we wouldn't want to keep Ms. Bishop waiting." Abbey wrapped her arms around him.

"No... we wouldn't." ~~~ Thirty minutes later, Leo walked into the Oval Office with some papers in his hand. As he looked up, he saw a young lady sitting on one of the couches with a walking stick folded up on her lap.

"Hello. You must be Sara Bishop. I'm Leo McGarry. White House Chief of Staff."

"Pleased to meet you." Sara offered her hand out and Leo took it.

"You're here to help Abbey, right?"

"If she ever shows up. I've been waiting for nearly half an hour now."

"You're kidding me?" Leo said. "Hold on, I'll go see what's holding her up." Leo walked over to Jed's desk and picked the phone up while at the same time he dropped the papers he had with him down.

"Hello." Came a very annoyed male voice at the other end.

"Mr. President, I'm in your office right now, with a young lady named Sara Bishop. I don't know if you're aware..."

"Oops." Jed said with a mischievous tone to his voice.

"That's what I thought, Mr. President." Leo's face was over taken by a huge grin.

"Okay, we're on our way down. For real this time." Jed hung the phone up, then turned to his wife. "We've been caught."

TBC...


	21. Valley Of The Shadow , The 21

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

About ten minutes after Jed and Leo got off of the telephone, Jed and Abbey showed up in the Oval Office … finally. Both of them wearing the biggest grins.

"You must be Sara Bishop. I'm President Bartlet. It's nice to meet you." Jed helped Abbey sit down on the couch across from Sara, then sat down next to her. If he had been any closer, he would have been sitting on her.

"Abigail Bartlet. It's nice to meet you."

"It is an honor to meet you both." Sara said a little intimidated by her surroundings. Even if she couldn't see them. "Now, let's get started."

Sara and Abbey started out slowly. Sara would take items out of a bag and she would hand them to the First Lady and make her guess what they were by the sense of touch.

Having mastered that one, they moved on to the sense of smell. The first item Sara took out of her bag was a smaller bag full of flower pedals. Abbey guessed that one right away. The next item was an orange. Again, Abbey guessed correctly. But then the items began to get more difficult. Abbey began to stumble. It took her three times to guess some of the items. But she always managed to get it right in the end. That should count for something.

The next test was to the sense that applied to the ears. Sound. Sara had had a small radio with her, equipped with a tape player. As with the sense of smell, Abbey started out doing great. She recognized the sound of a car engine, rain, a door open, footsteps. But then they too got difficult. Getting discouraged, Abbey began to get more and more things wrong. That's when Sara decided to move on.

They could always go back.

But if Abbey got too discouraged, then they would have had a harder time moving forward.

Not too worried about the fifth sense, taste, Sara jumped ahead. The next item on the list, being aware of her surroundings.

"Mrs. Bartlet, I want you to describe to me what the Oval Office looks like. I want you to tell me what is where. Don't leave anything out." Sara instructed her pupil.

Abbey had begun with ease. But as she moved on, things got harder. She had been in the Oval Office countless times. So this should be a piece of cake, right?

Wrong.

Abbey couldn't believe how she had no clear image of what the office looked like. She should know … but she didn't.

"Okay, let's move on." Sara pulled a walking cane out of her bag and handed it to Abbey. "If you are going to do things on your own, you are going to need one of these." Sara gave the thing over to Abbey. "So stand up now. We're going to go for a little walk. And you are going to be the one to navigate."

"I don't think I can do that." Abbey admitted.

"Don't think about doing it. Just do it." Sara replied.

The two girls started out on their journey, with Jed not far behind. The original plan was to end up in the residence. But Abbey got turned around one to many times, and she somehow led them to the kitchen.

Once she realized where she was, Abbey began to get embarrassed.

Very embarrassed.

Then, that embarrassment was turned into frustration as she fell down to the ground.

"Abbey …" Jed stepped forward when he saw tears of anger and frustration fall down her face.

"Leave her alone." Sara replied. "She needs to do this alone. You won't always be there to help her. She needs to do this alone."

"I can't do it. It's too hard." Abbey cried out from the floor.

"It wouldn't be life if it wasn't hard." Sara said. "The trick is to be just as hard as life. When you get knocked down, you have to get back up. Now, get up and try this again. We are in the kitchen. We need to get to the residence. You know the way, but you don't trust yourself. You have to trust yourself."

Quietly, Jed snuck over to Abbey, trying not to make a sound. He saw Abbey hurting, and he needed to help her. "Get away from her, Mr. President. That was one of the conditions of you getting to come along with us. You have to leave her alone." Sara's senses were good.

Real good.

"But …" Jed began.

"It's alright, Jed. It's alright." Abbey said as she picked herself up off the ground. "Let's try this again." She gave off a weak smile.

TBC…


	22. Valley Of The Shadow , The 22

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

As the week progressed, Abbey's lessons did as well. She finally managed to get those pesky little sound and smell senses down. Now, just if she could do something about the navigation part.

Jed watched as she navigated through their bedroom. Several times he had had to fight the urge to help her. He cringed every time she ran into something or fell down. She was covered in bruises, but she didn't seem to care or notice, for that matter. She was intent on one thing, making damn sure that, if the worst happened, she could do things for herself.

Jed had to admit that his admiration of his wife grew with each passing hour. His pride in her grew as well. The first day she got up out of bed and changed her clothes by herself was the defining moment. The smile on her face was priceless. Of course, she still needed a little bit of help in the shower... a chore that Jed was more than happy to perform.

Sara became a great source of inspiration. The young woman seemed to know exactly the right buttons to push when Abbey got discouraged. And she still did...

She was proud of all her steps forward, but she hated not being able to navigate around the White House without getting lost or having an accident. She knew Jed was worried... she'd fallen down a small set of stairs. She hadn't hurt herself, but it scared the hell out of her.

Sara had told her not to worry. And that it was good that is scared her, it would teach her to use her other senses more keenly... And it had. Abbey paid attention to everything that went on around her. She had always had good hearing, but it was superb now.

But, most important of all, she was learning to trust herself. It was a gradual transition. Sara kept telling her that the only thing that kept her from roaming the White House without getting lost was the fact that she didn't trust herself and her own instincts.

When she learned to do that, then she'd be able to do anything she wanted. ~~ Jed looked up when Mrs. Landingham poked her head into the Oval Office, "Yes, Mrs. Landingham?"

The elder woman did an amazing job of keeping her excitement in check, "You have a special visitor, Mr. President."

"I do?" Jed asked.

"Yes, sir." Mrs. Landingham nodded. "And I've been asked to tell you to please stay in your seat and not, for any reason, get out of your chair."

"What?" Jed remarked. "Mrs. Landingham?"

Mrs. Landingham swung the door open all the way and moved out of the way. Jed looked in surprise as Abbey made her way into the Oval Office. She paused at the door, "Thank you, Mrs. Landingham."

"You're welcome," came the reply.

Abbey continued into the office. She used her walking stick and navigated her way over to where her husband sat. She walked behind the desk and sat in his lap, "Well?"

"Did you come from the residence?"

"Yes."

"By yourself?"

"Yes."

"Did you get lost?"

"No."

Jed smiled as he pulled her close to him, "I'm proud of you... I'm so proud of you."

Abbey grinned, "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome very much," he replied as Abbey settled back into his arms. They stayed like that for several long moments, just resting in one another's presence.

"I actually had a reason for coming down here, believe it or not." Abbey said, finally.

Jed smiled, "I'm happy to have you walk through my door and sit in my lap even if you don't have a reason..."

"You're a sick man, Jed Bartlet." Abbey said, grinning. Her grin faded for a moment, remembering the last time she had said those words to him. She shook it off, "I would like to invite you to dinner."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really."

"Okay."

"Good, I took a change of clothes to Leo's office. You can dress there."

"Wait, you mean I can't dress in my own bedroom?" Jed asked, quickly.

"Nope!" Abbey replied, just as quickly. "And I don't want you loitering around the bedroom doors, either."

"Abbey..."

"Jed, please?"

Jed sighed, "Like I could tell you no, anyway. All right, and what time is this dinner to take place?"

"Seven o'clock."

"Okay, I'll be there." Jed said, kissing her on the neck.

TBC....


	23. Valley Of The Shadow , The 23

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

As seven o'clock began to approach, Jed found himself in Leo's office standing in front of a mirror, wearing a black tuxedo. This peaked his curiosity. What kind of dinner was this that he was going to? Why did he half to wear a tuxedo? What did Abbey have planned?

Jed's curiosity was now more than just peaked.

Stepping away from the mirror, Jed turned to his best friend. "She didn't say anything to you about this?"

"For the last time, Mr. President, no she did not tell me what she had planned."

"And you are telling me the truth?"

Getting very annoyed, Leo shouted, "Mr. President!"

"Okay, okay." Jed made his way over to his friend's couch and sat down next to him. "So what time is it now?"

"Are you going to keep asking me that every five minutes?"

"So what time is it?" Jed ignored Leo's last remark.

"It's 6:53. You still have 7 minutes until you are allowed to show up." Leo's voice was still filled with annoyance.

"Why do you think she has me in a tux?" Jed asked as his friend growled at him.

"You know, and I'm sure I will regret saying this, but I think I actually prefer your trivia over this... this... whatever it is."

"Hey, did you know that the first tuxedo was actually made out of ..."

"Mr. President!" Leo snapped cutting Jed off. "I bet if you walk really slow you can get there right at 7." Leo looked at his watch. "You only have six minutes left."

"Are you trying to get rid of me Leo?" Jed asked playfully.

"No, sir. I wouldn't dream of it." Leo said sarcastically as his phone began to ring. Finally having an excuse to end this torture on himself, Leo jumped up to answer it. "Hello, Leo McGarry... Yeah, and I got to tell you... There is a God after all...You too. Bye."

"Who was that on the phone?" Jed was now standing.

"My savior. Abbey says you can leave for the residence now." Before Leo could even finish, Jed was already out the door and on his way to the presidential bedroom.

Entering the room that he had been banned from for the past few hours, Jed stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him.

The only light coming from the glow of several candles placed all around the room, not to mention on the table that wasn't normally present. Romantic melodies floated out of the stereo. And then there was Abbey. Standing at the foot of their bed, she was wearing a long, dark, seductive evening gown.

TBC...


	24. Valley Of The Shadow , The 24

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

Jed stared about him, not sure what was happening. He finally managed to speak, "Abbey?"

"Yes?"

"What's going on?"

"Dinner," she replied simply.

"Abigail," Jed began, taking a few steps foreword. "Did you do all this?"

"Yes, I did." Abbey replied. She smiled at him, her face aglow in the candlelight. "And our dinner is getting cold, by the way."

Jed nodded, "Okay." He watched as Abbey walked over to the table and sat down in her seat without a hitch. He smiled as he sat down across the small table from her.

They ate in a comfortable silence, both simply enjoying the other's presence. Jed watched, in quiet amazement, as Abbey filled her plate and maneuvered around the table with ease. The woman sitting in front of him was a far cry from the woman who had had to be fed.

"You're an amazing woman, you know that?" Jed said, suddenly as they finished their dinner.

Abbey smiled, her face blushing slightly. She ducked her head, "Why, thank you Mr. President."

Jed grinned, "You're welcome, Dr. Bartlet... I didn't tell you, but thank you."

Abbey tilted her head in confusion, "For what?"

"For telling me what to do when you hurt yourself... I was scared, I didn't know what to do. But you told me... I needed you. I'll always need you, you know that, right?"

Abbey nodded, "Yeah... I do know that," she smiled at him. "And I'll always need you... you know that too, right?"

"Good, cause I've gotten used to having you in the shower with me." Jed said, slyly.

Abbey shook her head, "You're impossible, you know that right?"

"Yes, I do know that." Jed replied. "Now, what's for desert?" He waited for a response, but Abbey said nothing. Instead, he felt something rub against his leg. Pursing his lips, he reached down and caught Abbey's walking stick with one hand and gave a very slight tug.

Abbey laughed, "I knew this damn thing was good for more than one thing."

Jed chuckled as he rose from his seat. He walked over to Abbey and lifted her out of her seat in one, swift movement. Abbey dropped the stick and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck as he walked toward their bed.

TBC....


	25. Valley Of The Shadow , The 25

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

The next morning, Abbey awoke to the sensation of … a rose. Jed was caressing her face with a rose. A long stemmed red rose.

When he saw her begin to stir, he held the rose up to her nose as she deeply breathed in the sweet aroma it gave off.

"Umm, that smells good." Abbey said as she felt the rose move away. A few seconds later, she felt a new sensation.

Jed's lips.

"What time is it?" Abbey asked as the long tender kiss finally came to an end.

"9 a.m." Jed said looking at his clock.

"You let me sleep in?"

"Yeah."

"Why?" Abbey asked as she threw her body over onto Jed's.

Letting his huge smile spread to his voice, Jed responded, "Cause we didn't get to bed … I mean, asleep until two in the morning."

"I'm beginning to remember now." Jed's smile now moved into Abbey's voice.

"You know what today is?" Jed asked as he pressed Abbey's body closer into his.

"Friday." Abbey responded with a confused tone. She couldn't make up her mind if she was excited, or nervous.

"Yes, it is Friday. And do you know what makes this Friday so special?" Jed picked his head up and gave his wife a peck on the lips.

"Would it be the fact that my bandages come off today?" Abbey asked, knowing the answer.

"Yes, it would." Jed continued to spread little kisses all over her face and neck. ~~~ Slowly, but surely, the afternoon finally rolled around.

Abbey and Jed were in their bedroom along with Dr. Tyler, who, at the request of the First Lady, went to her instead of the other way around.

Right outside the door was a very anxious group, filled with Leo, CJ, and Zoey. CJ was pacing all around the place, as Leo stood holding Zoey, trying to help her last another few minutes to find out the future of her mother's eyes.

"It's very important that you do not open your eyes until I tell you to. Do you understand?" Dr. Tyler asked.

"Yeah." Abbey responded.

"Okay, let us take these bandages off of you." Dr. Tyler began to do as he said.

"By all means." Abbey replied.

Carefully taking the bandages off, the doctor said to Abbey, "Okay, now I want you to slowly begin to open your eyes."

As directed, her eyes slowly began to lift up.

Once fully up, Abbey waited a few moments before saying in a very disappointed tone, "I can't see anything."

TBC...


	26. Valley Of The Shadow , The 26

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

Jed put a hand on Abbey's back. Please God... please, he thought.

Dr. Tyler put a hand on Abbey's arm, "That's all right. It's perfectly natural. Just give it a few minutes."

Abbey nodded as she began to move away from the two men. She began to move slowly to the window. Little by little she inched her way.

Jed watched as she moved away from him. His stomach felt like it was up around his chest.

The minutes ticked by as Abbey stood, facing out the window. Jed couldn't keep his body still. But, he noticed that Abbey was perfectly still. She hadn't moved an inch since she moved to the window.

"You know something Jed?" Abbey said, breaking the tense silence. "It really is a gorgeous afternoon..." She turned around and faced him, "But, not nearly as gorgeous as you look in that blue shirt."

Jed blinked... he hadn't told Abbey what shirt he was wearing. That meant that she... "Abbey?"

"Yes?" she answered back.

Jed walked slowly over to the window and stood in front of her. She looked up and into his eyes and Jed saw the light that he had feared he'd never see again, "Abigail..."

She smiled at him.

Jed grinned and gave a little yell as he picked her up off the ground and spun her around in his arms.

The bedroom doors flew open and in came Zoey, Leo, and CJ. The trio looked over to the window.

Zoey stepped foreword, "Mom?"

TBC....


	27. Valley Of The Shadow , The 27

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

"I want to thank you, Zoey." Abbey said as she found her daughter in the crowded room full of all the people that work so hard for both the President and the First Lady.

"Me? What'd I do, Mom?" Zoey asked as her mother stood right beside her and slipped her arm around Zoey.

"You talked me to my senses." Abbey replied.

"When?"

"When you told me to follow my heart and not my head." Abbey smiled at her daughter. "You got me to think. And I mean really think, which was something I hadn't done much of since the accident. Thank you."

"And what would my two favorite women be talking about?" Jed asked as he sneaked up behind mother and daughter.

"We were gossiping about you, Dad." Zoey laughed. She never could lie with a straight face on.

Taking Zoey into a bear hug from behind and rocking side to side, he said, "Oh really? And just what was it you were gossiping about, about me?"

"Girl stuff." Abbey smiled at her husband.

"'Nuff said." Jed rested his head on top of his daughter's head. "So Zoey, do you mind if I take your mother away from you?"

"What if her mother minds?" Abbey said playfully.

"Then..." Jed began, but was cut off by Zoey.

"Hey, there's Charlie. Later guys." Zoey unraveled herself from her father's arms and took off for her boyfriend across the way.

"So what did you want, gumdrop?" Abbey asked as her husband came to her side.

"Out here." Jed pointed to a door with one hand as the other was wrapped around his wife.

"What's out here?" Abbey asked as they walked through the doors Jed pointed to.

"This." Jed took his wife into his arms and began to kiss her like there was no tomorrow.

Abbey pulled away, "Jed... we can't."

"Sure we can." He began to kiss her again, ever so gently.

Pulling away from him again, she said, "What if we get caught?"

"We could always go to the residence." He kissed her once again. This time, she didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned further into him and tenderly kissed him back.

As Jed's hands began to go on a journey, the doors that Jed and Abbey had just walked through swung open quite suddenly. Hearing the doors crash against the walls, Jed and Abbey looked up and saw a room full of people staring at them.

TBC...


	28. Valley Of The Shadow , The 28

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

"Jed, I'm going to close my eyes and then I want you to tell me that there's no one staring at us from the doorway." Abbey said, leaning against him and laying her head on his shoulder.

"Abbey, you know you hate it when I lie to you." Jed sighed. He looked over at the doorway. His senior staff was crowded in. Every single one of them wore amused expressions on their faces.

Finally Josh spoke up, "Hey, are the two of you busy Mr. President?"

"Josh, how highly do you value your job?" Jed countered with a question of his own.

Josh looked thoughtful for a moment, "Before I answer that, I just want to say that this was all CJ's idea."

CJ rolled her eyes, "Great answer Josh." She looked over at the First Couple, who had yet to move from their places. "We have something for the First Lady, Mr. President."

Abbey lifted her head, "Really?"

Jed laughed, "You just saved, not only your lives, but mine as well CJ."

Everyone laughed as Abbey playfully slapped her husband on the arm, "Well, I told you."

Jed and Abbey walked back inside the room as Zoey walked over to them. Their daughter grinned at them, "Mom, close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Just do it Mom." Zoey said.

Abbey did as she was told. Jed watched with a smile as his senior staff and Abbey's senior staff walked foreword with their gift. Leo nodded to Jed.

Jed touched Abbey's arm, "You can open your eyes, now."

Abbey opened her eyes and immediately tears began to fill them. Each staff member held two, gold dipped roses.

Leo smiled at her, "We're all so happy that you're all right Abbey. And we're all proud of the way you conquered this."

"Thank you Leo." Abbey said as the roses were placed in her arms. "Thank you all."

Jed leaned over, "If you think this is something, wait until they all leave and it's just you and me."

Abbey laughed as the party continued around them.

TBC....


	29. Valley Of The Shadow , The 29

The Valley of the Shadow 

by: Rhiannon & AJ

 

The party dragged on for a good two hours longer. Pure torture on Jed...

He had only one thing on his mind...

Finally, the party was over, and all of the guests were leaving. Jed and Abbey managed to sneak away.

"What?" Jed asked as he looked over at his wife, as they were walking back to the residence, hand in hand.

"Huh?" Abbey responded.

"You have something you want to say. I can see it in your beautiful brown eyes. What is it?"

"Next time you want to go swimming... you get in first."

"What if we make the secret service agents test the water first?"

"Still... you are getting in first." Abbey and Jed finally reached their destination.

Standing right outside their bedroom doors, Jed said, "Deal. Now, I believe I told you I had a present of my own for you."

"Did you?" Abbey playfully said as she looked deeply into her husband's eyes.

She looked into his eyes.

She looked. Which means... she could see.

"Yes, I did." Jed opened the doors of their bedroom and led Abbey to the bed, after locking the door. 

~~~ 

The next morning, Jed suddenly woke up. He had a feeling he was being watched. Turning to his side, he found Abbey, watching him. "You're up?"

"Yeah." Came her response.

"What are you doing up already?"

"I'm watching you. I like watching you." Abbey finished with a seductive tone as she rolled on top of her husband. "I like watching you a lot."

"Watching is good... but I can think of better things..." Jed said as he felt a sweet, tender sensation on his lips.

THE END


End file.
